The Easter Story In Chocolate (Chocolate, sweets, biscuits) ------At the beginning of time God in his love created the earth. It was full of wonders like the sun and the moon. There were galaxies, the milk way, planets like Mercury and Mars and incredible Starbursts. It was beautiful. God created Adam and Eve and one day they had the Munchies and decided to have a . They planned on just having some Fruit and Nut but a from the serpent encouraged them to eat from the forbidden tree. Suddenly the relationship between God and his people had been damaged and they left the garden and all it’s beautiful flowers and roses.

There were many eggcellent prophets and leaders in the Old Testament who tried to bring people back to God. Moses led the Eggsodus and brought his people out of Egypt. Daniel, Jeremiah and Ezekiel let the people know eggactly what God wanted of them. God walked with his people even when they went astray.

Finally God realized that the best way to guide and love his people was to become one of them. And so the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with some very eggciting news. The angel told Mary that she was to become the mother of his son. How could this be?, she wondered. She wasn’t even married and she was sure that this news would ripple through the village like wildfire and everyone would judge her and snicker. An angel appeared to Joseph in a and reassured him that this was all part of God’s loving plan. 140

And so it came to be God’s son Jesus was born in a stable, as poor as poor could be, not even a dime to his name. There was nothing eggtraordinary about his childhood. However everything changed on the day he was baptised. The spirit descended on him like a dove and with the help of the spirit he led a life of incredible love and compassion. He healed the sick, he forgave and eggcused sinners, he fed the hungry. He didn’t focus on the wealthy or the hobnobs instead he focused on the poor. He ate with sinners and there is even a story of a women who had been forgiven covering his feet with kisses. People were kinder surprised as he reduced the 642 laws of the Torah to one thing Love – he said all we have to do is love God and love our neighbour as ourselves. His disciples followed him and noticed that as well as caring for people he use to take time-out to pray and talk to God. Here was a leader that didn’t expect others to serve him, instead he served them. Nobody felt that they had to walk on egg shells around him. While he challenged those in power to everyone else he lifted their hearts and gave their spirits a much needed . On Palm Sunday Jesus came into town, not in a car or on a Double Decker bus but on a donkey. He went through the streets, not just the quality streets, but every street and people lioned the streets and welcomed him with great joy. The authorities were up to their old twix again. They were afraid of how popular Jesus had become. They knew that Judas was a bad egg and offered him a bounty of 30 pieces of silver to catch Jesus. Sadly there was no eggscape for Jesus. The authorities fudged the issues and had him arrested and sentenced to death. On that day Jesus died on the cross, there was a chill and eeriness in the aero. Throughout it all Jesus forgave his enemies and put himself in God’s hands. It wasn’t nails but love of us that held him to that cross. His followers and disciples were broken hearted, their good friend had died and it all seemed like a failure. But Sunday was coming! 38 Early on Sunday morning, it was after eight in fact the women went to the tomb to find it empty. They learned that Jesus had risen and he appeared to them. This was not just good news it was the best news ever. They twirled around and ran off to tell the disciples their Eggceptional news. Jesus rising from the dead reassures us that life is stronger than death, that light is stronger than darkness, hope is bigger than despair and that love is the most powerful force in the world. Is it any wonder that, of all the celebrations in the churches year Easter is the biggest and the best!

Firstly divide the group into teams and get them to sit on the ground in their teams. Get them to devise a buzzer sound for their team – short and snappy is best! Once they have come up with their team buzzer sound give them instructions for the game: I am going to tell you the Christmas story and whenever you hear the name of a sweet, or biscuit call out your buzzer sound. The first team to buzz in get a bar. If a few teams buzz in at the same time you might each get a bar. For example a sentence might read as: Joseph and Mary made their way to Bethlehem. It wasn’t like New Yorkie but they didn’t mind. So you should have buzzed in for ‘Yorkie’ as it is a bar. Also a bar or sweet or biscuit is only mentioned once and so if you buzz in for a second time or even if you buzz in incorrectly I will take back a bar from you. So don’t get carried away! Read the story in a manner whereby you pause for dramatic effect by way of trying to trick the children into ‘buzzing’. After each correct or incorrect guess re-read some or all the sentences again by way of trying to trick the children into buzzing incorrectly for a second time. The Chocolate and ‘Egg’ words mentioned in today’s Easter Chocolate Story! Time, Galaxy, Milk Way, Mars, Starbursts, Munchies, Picnic, Fruit and Nut, Wispa, Roses, Eggcellent, Eggsodus, Eggactly, Eggciting, Ripple, Snicker, Dream, Dime, Eggtraordinary, Dove, Eggcused, Hob Nobs, Kisses, Kinder surprise, Time-out, Egg shells, Boost, Double Decker, Quality Street, Lion(ed!), Twix, Bad Egg, Bounty, Catch, Eggscape, , Aero, After Eights, , Eggceptional, Celebrations. Happy Easter to you and yours and may that Spirit of the risen Christ ‘Boost’ your spirit and lift your hearts, at this time and always!

Eggceptional message The only time it is safe to be put all our eggs in one basket trusting in jess Egg cuse It’s not just a beautiful story, it’s a promise Egg is a symbol of new life – just like your easter Egg –it’s not earned, it’s given freely, it’s gift